@MakBerberovic even the CIA itself in declassified documents, while still calling the Soviet Union a dictatorship (because of course, it's the CIA) has admitted that claims about Stalin being a dictator were exaggerated, literally on the CIA website, stating "The Western idea of a dictator within the Communist setup is exaggerated."
source: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80-00810A006000360009-0.pdf